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Pale Elves
The Pale Elves, as witnesses have called them, are a race of elves that had broken away from the Circle of Elders in ancient times. For ages, these fair-skinned folk have lived isolated, far to the Northeast of Valusia in regions so cold that man could not hope to survive. At first glance, Pale Elves are nearly indistinguishable from their cousins in the South, save for their narrower waistline. Upon closer inspection, Pale Elf skin pigmentation varies even less than Wood Elves, with only the faintest hues of grey or blue. Pale Elf hair color differs significantly however, typically ranging from brilliant white to raven black. Commonly, Pale Elves prefer to dye and interweave strands of hair a shade of blue. Lore The Pale Elves have long been a myth among the humans of Valusia. Tales of beautiful elven women trapped beyond the icy wastes to the North are spun all across Valusia. Campfire stories abound of their dire need of companionship and the riches they can provide to those valiant enough to brave the ice and cold. Though such stories are usually told out of jest, every now and then a few truly desperate souls attempt this trek and are never heard from again. Presumably, these adventurous fools never make it much farther than the permafrost, either dying slowly of starvation or hypothermia. To the sane men and women of Valusia, these stories are nothing more than myths. The Wood Elves, however, fully believe the Pale Elves are out there, but their stories are far more sinister. According to the Wood Elves, a rift formed with a sect of elves who had lost much during the last race wars. The Humans and Dwarves had formed an alliance and were pushing the Elves to the brink of surrender. Many of the communes were burning and for the first time in centuries, survivors were fleeing the forests for the hilly lands to the East, but the trek would be grueling. To reach those lands, the elves would have to journey along the coastline and through the permafrost--a journey nearly as perilous as staying to defend their dying nation. Plans were in motion to evacuate the villages and erect great ships with the many felled trees lost during the fighting. Unfortunately, the combined armies of Humans and Dwarves were approaching with little resistance. There would never be enough time to complete these sea vessels and some had already begun the dangerous march towards the permafrost. Others, however, had different plans. Queen Ondesi and the Race War For years, the elves loyal to Queen Ondesi had been voicing their concerns of the rapid advancement of the Humans nearing their forests. These loyalists knew that one day, the Humans would come and attempt to claim their beloved lands by force, for the race of men are wicked and greedy. The lands of the vale would never be enough for them. They told her that the humans would expand all throughout Tarth, laying the foundations of their homes upon bedrock made of the civilizations they crush. The Queen listened and agreed. In turn, she approached the Circle of Elders for if action were to be taken, she would need their approval...but they would not give it. The Circle of Elders could not decide how to handle the encroaching human settlements. Whether it was from arrogance or benevolence, many of the Elders thought the Humans would not be the threat Ondesi predicted. The overconfident believed the Humans would never approach en force or that they would be easily routed. Others thought that a peaceful co-existence was possible, even necessary. One prevailing thought was that the Elves needed to cultivate peace because they are the older, wiser race. As it turns out, only Ondesi correctly foresaw the upcoming invasion, but none suspected the Dwarves to be their ally. Queen Ondesi was furious over the inaction of the Circle of Elders, but at least she was not totally unprepared. Her warriors were prepared and took to the vanguard in defense of all the Wood Elves while the other armies mobilized. Unfortunately, the combined strength of the Human and Dwarf armies took a heavy toll and by the time reinforcements arrived, Ondesi's army had sustained heavy casualties. The front lines were lost practically before the war even started. Ondesi's Bargain Knowing full well how completely unprepared the rest of her nation was, the Queen refused the orders of the Elders to retreat and held fast despite her loyal warriors almost certain demise. In the midst of the chaos and carnage, the Queen made one last terrible decision. In the grips of loathing and loss, Queen Ondesi invoked the darkest of magicks in exchange for victory. In the coming months and as the Elders prepared for retreat or surrender, the tides of war continued in favor of the Humans and Dwarves until suddenly, the skirmishing ended abruptly. The Humans soon turned on one another and without their ally, the Dwarves also ended their campaign. The Elves would be spared their destruction, some say by chance and other believe it was Ondesi's bargain. Yet, when one makes deals with dark forces, the terms are never in one's favor and the price she and her people must pay will soon be apparent to all. For now though, the Human and Dwarf forces were in full retreat. Now was the time to press the fortuitous advantage and single out the Humans and annihilate them, or so thought Queen Ondesi. Once again she made her request to the Elders and once again she would be denied. The Elves were in no position to advance. Their armies were spread out and scattered to the wind. Ondesi was not convinced. She saw only the strength of her army to survive the onslaught and the weakness of the Elders to deny her vengeance. She had succumb to the madness of war and malice crept into her heart. If the Elders would not grant her satisfaction, then she needed a way to circumvent them, but how? Should could not take what little of an army she had left to fight the Humans alone. Nor could a coup attempt achieve anything for she would never gain the support of the other Queens. She had no choice but to bide her time and wait for opportunity to arise...but that time would never come. The darkness that found its way into Ondesi's soul eventually became apparent to the Elders. When they learned of the deal that she made, they had no choice but to strip her from power and seek a new Queen. What they did not know was that the terms of her pact included all her loyal subjects. Bound to her knowingly or unknowingly, one by one her subjects left the lands of the Wood Elves to join her in exile. Ondesi and her loyal subjects left the forest in disgrace and made their way Northeast along the coastline along the route intended for evacuation. They would forge their own realm in the untamed wilderness of the East, unhindered by the conservatism of doddering old fools. Only the perilous trek through the permafrost laid between them and this glorious new empire, but the dark forces had only just begun to exact their toll. The evil spirits of the world are twisted and cruel indeed and they love nothing more than to shape the fates of the living in their own image. It would have been easy to let the environs of the permafrost claim them, but instead the spirits allowed it to cultivate them; to permeate them. "Look at them," the evil spirits thought, "so attuned to the lush greens and ample bounty of the forest that they have no needs, no strong desires. They procreate and progress without care. But what if we took that all away? What if we gave them no lush greens, no ample bounty? With only the ice and snow, what desires would burn within them? And what if we took away their ease of procreation and progression? To what debauchery would the stoop? Would Ondesi and her minions become like the Humans we have encouraged her to hate, or will they become something far worse? Oh, what sweet macabre shall time unveil for our amusement?" And so the evil spirits exacted their toll. Ondesi and her followers found themselves incapable of escaping the icy grip of winter. For years they roamed the permafrost, barely surviving off the few creatures capable of thriving so far north. Somehow they persevered through starvation and deathly low temperatures, and eventually their physiology changed as they acclimated to this never ending land of winter, but even worse, their hearts had changed. Survival against extinction corrupted their way of life, and when the winterlands finally let them leave, they were an entirely different species. The Fall of Formia When Ondesi's elves emerged from the eternal winterlands, they had no identity. The years of frost and ice had taken away nearly all that they were. They had memories of art and architecture, but none had the means to create it. They had memories of civilization and structure, but they lacked the vision to establish it. The also had memories of their bond with nature, but none could reconnect themselves with it. To make matters worse, birth rates were in decline and fewer and fewer males were being born. Some feared that the entire male population would dwindle out within a few generations. For a time, they wallowed in stagnation. Unrest was growing with every failed step towards building a new civilization. Factions were forming and infighting had just begun when tales of a society in the south were first heard. Rumors of these recently discovered neighbors spread like wildfire. Whether through coincidence or daft manipulation, the thoughts of the people turned from internal squabbling to focus on the potential foreign threat. As new details of the insect race to the south emerged, fear and resentment of these outsiders managed to unify Ondesi's people. Of all the things forgotten by the elves of the North, it seems war was not one of them. Without even the slightest hint of provocation, the call to march against the outsiders, now known as Formians, was answered without question. The attack was swift and relentless. Caught completely unaware, entire cities fell in days. In fact, this event would be heralded as one of the dark ironies of the Pale Elves as this war played out very similarly to the race war that began their decent. The Formians, however, would not be spared chance. No, instead they were slaughtered wholesale as the rapidly advancing elven army could not afford the time to detain prisoners. With the enemy at her doorstep and nowhere to flee, the Formian queen surrendered. That decision would prove to be fatal. Amidst the fog of war, the Pale Elves had been blinded to the savagery of their actions. Through fear, contempt, and hatred, they had toppled a nation that posed them no threat. The Formians had never known war. They were a communal race of builders who sought only to create massive, vertical structures of clay and stone for the housing of their people. They had no eyes for conquest for even the most meager of vegetation was enough to sustain them. In many ways, they were much like the elves of the forest. In fact, they were not even nearly as hideous as the Pale Elves thought them to be. But none of this mattered now. Ondesi cared only for the survival and advancement of her own people. With the surrender of the Formian queen, Ondesi had many options at her disposal. Subjugation? Enslavement? Eradication? In the end, Ondesi chose a little of all. Having adapted to the desolate and freezing temperatures of the eternal winterlands, settling in the hills to the south was an arduous task so many Formians were brought in to help with this transition. Still, many Pale Elves, including Ondesi, had grown so accustom to the winterlands and wished to return. The less agreeable Formians were shackled and forced into the icy environs of the winterlands to carve out great cities of ice and stone. They were given minimal shelter and overworked, save for a few select males. While being spared from freezing to death, unspeakable acts were committed in the name of preservation and in time the two races would become one. The Formians who were not immediately enslaved or subjugated were executed, including the Formian queen. In fact, most Formian females were slain to discourage unsanctioned breeding. For the next century, the Formian population was monitored and when they outlived their usefulness, were forced into extinction. Society As of the Evernight era, Pale Elf society is much of a mystery. Few if any Pale Elves have been spotted beyond their borders and travelers to their domain are most unwelcome. Still, the Circle of Elders has managed to gain some glimpses of their society at work through the use of trained observers. Unfortunately, all attempts to infiltrate and correspond with the Pale Elves directly have failed. Pale Elves appear to have an uncanny sense of such deceptions. Reports from observers indicate that Pale Elf society is strongly militarized and defined by a caste structure that heavily favors the soldier class. By as early as age 5, Pale Elf children are sent to military academies where they are presumably indoctrinated with nationalist rhetoric, educated in primary subjects, and given rigorous examinations that are used to determine a child's obedience and ability to follow complicated commands. At age 10, children are assigned to either the soldier or worker class based on their 5-year performance through the basic academy. How exactly children are judged remains unknown, but the splits fluctuate radically from cycle to cycle. What is known is that once a child has been selected to a class, he is a member of that class for life. The working class, by all accounts, is considered second rate. Despite the necessity of the worker, the youth are taught to admire their protectors and to train vigilantly in the hopes of becoming one upon selection day. Though the majority of young are incapable of this lofty selection, the few who meet or exceed expectations are granted with a wealth of freedom and rights that the workers may never have. At this stage, cycle-mates that are selected to different classes will rarely meet again as segregation is necessary to further establish the distinction between worker and soldier. Military selectees will continue their regimental training with increased focus on battle conditioning and weapon familiarization. On the other hand, worker selectees will be sent to appropriate work camps for further indoctrination and advancement towards a trade. During this period, the worker is nurtured towards dependance and trained through repetition. The work acclimation process takes between 2 to 10 years before workers are released into their field of trade, at which point they appear to be completely devoid of willpower. Occasionally, workers will relapse into a pre-acclimation state and must be disciplined. This sometimes involves returning the subject to the acclimation center, although worse punishments do exist. Due to extremely low male birth rates, female Pale Elves perform all functions in society: worker, warrior, nurturer, birth-giver, etc. In fact, males are protected dearly and kept from exposure to harmful activities. And while rumors abound of the good fortune of being born a Pale Elf male, the reality is wholly opposite. Males are not subjected to the academies, and while this provides for a leisurely lifestyle, it also keeps them intentionally naive. By any other societal standards, males who have come of age are abused and exploited solely for the purpose of procreation. For the Pale Elves, it is an act of necessity. If it matters, the whole process seemingly satisfies no one. Government The Pale Elves are ruled by a single monarch known as the High Queen. Her authority is absolute and her orders are upheld without question. The High Queen typically keeps a council of the nation's top military minds at hand, convening regularly about state affairs. The governance of the Imperial city and surrounding townships are upheld by prefects selected by the High Queen from long list of high ranking military officials. Although the High Queen's sovereignty is never openly disputed, he empire has had its share of political backstabbers and occasional coup attempts. Most of these uprisings are quelled quietly without even the queen's knowledge, though blood has been spilled in the name of preserving the peace. The truest threat to the throne actually comes from within the queen's own council. By having such intimate knowledge of the queen's plans, ambitious and unscrupulous council members have proven to be fully capable of usurping power and installing themselves as ruler. International Relations After the conquest of Formia, the Pale Elves have made no attempts to contact any other foreign nations. For the past 700 years, they have been content to live in isolation but the Circle of Elders fear that it may only be a matter of time before they make their intentions known. Military The Pale Elf Empire has amassed a significant military force mostly comprised of land-based units. Reports indicate that the Pale Elf army consists of an impressive array of infantry, light and heavy cavalry, as well as some level of special forces. In the Southern regions, the Pale Elf empire also deploys a modest navy of light escort ships. Information about Imperial battlemages appears to be a highly safeguarded secret, but the Circle of Elders firmly believes that such units do exist. Pale Elf infantry units utilize a variety of piercing and light slashing weaponry, preferring mobility over brute force. Commanding officers work with their units tirelessly on a host of defensive and offensive formations such that units can transition seamlessly with only the simplest of gestures. Pale Elf cavalry units also favor speed based on the percentage of light versus heavy units. This suggests that cavalry is often deployed in flanking maneuvers. Most Pale Elf steeds are gathered from and typically remain in the South as the climates up North are unsuitable for horses. This also means that Northern forces are devoid of light cavalry, but they have managed to acquire another species of mount which observers are calling "dire bears." These enormous beasts are easily two to two-and-a-half times the size of brown bears and have a coat as white as the winter snow. Though relatively sluggish, their raw power and massive claws can tear an ox in half with little effort. Economy The Pale Elf economy is strictly governed by the state primarily in support of military endeavors. There are no privately owned businesses and thus no need for an established currency. Commodities are distributed according to need and production is regulated to satisfy demand. On rare occasion, power plays are made to increase the holdings of one military regiment over another, but largely the empire's economy runs without a hitch. Other than traditional commodities, suitable males are also marketed due to their rarity. Besides rank, the number of males controlled by a commanding officer is a sign of power and status. One of the best ways to assure increased authority opportunities is to gain a large stable of males. Of course, the shrewdest leaders know when to retain their stable, and when to trade it for power and supplies. Demographics Female Pale Elves make up nearly 90 percent of the populace with males rounding out the majority of the remainder. There have been sightings of other species within the borders of the empire, but they are few and far between. Typically, these intruders are quickly rounded up and never seen again. Over the years, the empire has expanded to three provinces each with one or two cities. There are a scattering of colonies along the routes between these cities. These routes are constantly patrolled and forts have been established along the longest spans. Each colony hosts a military unit at roughly company strength that protects the work force that doubles or triples it in size. The cities have at least one regiment of troops stationed there at all times and as many as strong as a full brigade. Culture Pale Elf culture has diverged significantly from its Wood Elf roots. Absent of strong spiritual ties to the forest, the Pale Elves retain only a slight affinity towards their current environment. Those who live up in the permafrost regions seem to live in greater comfort than those living in the hills to the South. The difference in lifestyle is akin to the difference between home front and frontier. On the frontier, soldiers are always appear to be on guard mentally and sometimes this increased tension boils over physical confrontation. While such disorder is subject to disciplinary action, most minor infractions are overlooked and on rare occasion even encouraged. Theorists agree that 700 years of virtual inaction have made the solider class quite anxious for any hint of combat. Lifestyle The two social classes live at vastly different level of comfort. For the workers, although they are provided for by the state, conditions are poor. They live cramped together in 20-30 man bunk houses and wear modest and similar attire. While unflattering, their clothing is neatly kept with some slight variety. This suggests that appearance is still important in Pale Elf society and that workers are still allowed some semblance personal choice. Conditions for low ranking soldiers are on par with those of the working class, although they are required to wear a uniform during training and assignment. These uniforms favor dark blue, black, and grey hues with pieces of polished steel or possibly silver to accentuate rank. A soldier's armor, whether it be light or heavy, is also polished regularly so it gleams brilliantly in the sun. The mid sections and backings of breastplates have intermittent white and blue bands of dyed cloth or stained leather. Helmets, also polished to high reflectivity, somewhat resemble the visage of the Formians. Subtle reminders of Formian ancestry such as this can be seen throughout the Pale Elf culture. From architecture, to art, and even within the basis of society itself, traces of Formian vision and idealism are fashioned into every aspect of their lives. This is cause for much discussion among Wood Elf theorists and philosophers: Is this Formian influence genetic or spiritual in nature, or have these facets of Formian culture been intentionally copied and mimicked through a shear lack of creativity? In either case, there is strong opinion that should Pale Elf progression begin to stagnate once more, the colonies may well be on the move in search of a new civilization to absorb.